News
Saturday
Saturday we relaxed at the campground for the first and last parts of the day, with a short hike in the middle.
Sunday
Sunday we headed back home from the campground. In the afternoon, D14, M11, and I went to The Big Bounce, with the world’s largest bounce house. They bounced for about one hour, and got tired. Then I dropped M11 off for his weeklong visit with his mom. D14, Aaron, and I watched the first episode of His Dark Materials.
Monday
Monday after some errands with IL5, I made some sausage and potato stew for our lunches this week. The kittens were in IL5’s room for the day, which meant he wanted to spend a lot of time in his room, but I didn’t want him in there alone because he’d let them out and then we’d have to hunt them down. It was a balance between me getting stuff done, and sitting in the room with him. But at least he enjoyed the kittens. Maybe I should bring them up more often. IL5 had swim lessons in the late morning. D14 started summer school at the high school.
Tuesday
Tuesday I worked my day job. My client was very spunky. In the evening, I took IL5 to t-ball. He did a great job. He was on task the whole time and even stopped a ball that rolled his direction.
Wednesday
Wednesday I had a maintenance on the car, followed by a session 0 D&D session for M12’s new game. His Tuesday game collapsed, so I searched for another game for him and found this Pokemon D&D session. D14 went on a field trip to Feed My Starving Children, and really enjoyed herself.
In the afternoon, I had a dentist appointment (no concerns). Then I spent a few hours putting away laundry and cleaning the livingroom. I have now completed deep cleans of our bedroom, IL5’s room, and the livingroom. I will now focus my spare time on preparing manure/soil for seeding the bare spots from stump removal. We’re also seeding a couple of spots that we removed rocks or a sub-par fire ring from.
M12 had his new D&D session in the evening, and really enjoyed it.
Thursday
Thursday I worked my day job. I found an exercise routine that I can split up into 5 minute chunks here and there, and mostly completed it. I generally hate online exercise routines because they make my knees groan. My knees literally make noises, and I worry that the exercises are harmful rather than helpful. But these exercises were from the Mayo Clinic, and they were very gentle on my knees.
I realize I’m supposed to get some certain number of continuous aerobic exercise daily, but I’ve been trying to work up to that. My bariatric physical therapist wanted two half hour chunks of time, and this was at a time when I had a lot of appointments to take the kids to, so I only managed that amount at about 3 times a week, and she expressed disappointment in me and told me I just wasn’t prioritizing exercise, which is true…but isn’t my kids’ health more important? I deserved a “good job, now try to increase it to daily” instead of “you aren’t being good enough.” That put a bad taste in my mouth about exercise that has lasted over a year now. I’m trying to get over it, but I’m making slow progress.
Anyway, if I do those exercises on days I have work (because I can do it in small chunks while at my day job) or days I’m watching IL5 (because I can’t go downstairs to the exercise bike while watching him), and then do the exercise bike on the other two days, I’ll actually be exercising daily. It’s worth a try.
IL5 had t-ball in the evening. While Aaron and he were doing that, D14 and I played Ticket to Ride. Then I read to her.
Friday
Friday IL5, D14, and I went to Perkins for breakfast. Then D14, IL5, and I went to the pool. IL5 did a great job moving in chest deep water, and I think it’s helping him learn to kick and move independently, instead of being held by the coach, like he is in swim lessons. We’ll go to the pool as much as we can this summer.
After the pool, I got McDonald’s for IL5, and a one pound cookie for D14, Aaron, and dad. I relaxed at home later, as I try to do on Fridays and Saturdays.
I had been planning on going to Olive Garden on Sunday, as I promised IL5, but realized that Sunday was Father’s Day, and I didn’t want to fight the crowd, so we went with dad, IL5, me, and Aaron. It was beyond my calorie budget, but I was already ahead from last week, and subtracted a few calories on my planned meals for the next week’s plan – which seems doable given last week’s experience. I’m only trying to lose half a pound a week.
Letters Written
- One letter New York
- One letter Louisiana
- One letter Virginia
- One letter Maryland
Reading to myself
- Dragonwatch, by Brandon Mull
- The Book of Dragons, ed. Jonathan Strahan
- Mr Ballen Podcast
- Poor Things, by Alasdair Gray
- The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins
- Bible
- The Mystery of Exploding Teeth, by Thomas Morris
- Reaper Man, by Terry Pratchett
Reading to IL5
- Bok Bok Boom, by Cyndi Marko
- Super Rabbit Racers, by Thomas Flintham
- Super Cheat Codes and Secret Modes, by Thomas Flintham
D14 reading
- Everblaze, by Shannon Messenger (I’m reading this to her)
- The Storm Crow, by Kalyn Josephson
Media Completed
Max McCandles falls in love with a beautiful young woman who has been brought back from death through brain transplant. But the lady, Bella, must learn what it is to be human. This was a fascinating book that held me to the end. It is “literary” in nature, but not so much that a fluff-reader would be turned off.
Games Played
Hibernator's Library 